# wiping excrement from the anus **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514 "2003-12-22T20:25:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/1 "2003-12-22T20:25:44Z")
What would happen if a person did not consistantly wipe his/her anal area after excreting waste? Would the person simply smell, or would there be infections, sores, or worse? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/2 "2003-12-22T20:34:46Z")
It’ll start to itch and burn, and then you’ll get diaper rash. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/3 "2003-12-22T20:57:57Z")
ask a Vetnam Vet what happens, I talked to one guy who was infantry in Veitnam, he said that eventually the build up will start showing around your waste…blech. ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/4 "2003-12-22T21:31:41Z")
Are you assuming this person doesn’t wash either? In that case, there’s goona be a helluva klingon hauled around after them… ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/5 "2003-12-22T21:39:15Z")
Wait, before you all go off about diapers and infections… I think the OP is just asking about wiping, not _collecting_. In other words, exactly what every animal already does. My dog, for instance, never wipes. No problems with infection. And, **Critical1** , did you mean _waist_ when you said _waste_? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/6 "2003-12-22T21:57:25Z")
Sometimes I wonder if my son’s daycare provider is attempting just such an experiment. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/7 "2003-12-22T22:12:26Z")
> [@](#): > > In other words, exactly what every animal already does. My dog, for instance, never wipes. No problems with infection. But then, dogs, cats and most (if not all, come to think of it) animals don’t have buttocks to contend with. Their anuses stay clean because there’s nothing else for the excrement to stick to. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/8 "2003-12-22T22:21:01Z")
Dogs and cats lick their anuses to keep clean. Preferably in front of company. I don’t know about anybody else, but I’m not interested in doing that even if I could reach. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/9 "2003-12-22T22:22:04Z")
Body functions are timed mostly by habit. Establish the habit of evacuating and eliminatinng when first arising. Take your shower and wash the private areas thoroughly. Maybe even apply “Noxema” or similar lotion. At other times moist baby wipes work wonders and don’t irritate tender tissues. No “Dingleberries” and no problem(s). * * * “Beware of the Cog” ---
**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/10 "2003-12-22T22:50:47Z")
Um… if the area were allowed to dry out during the hours between use, would you not end up with a little smear of crusty mud-like substance that you’d brush off or pick off like a loose scab or snot from the end of your nose? Your fingers and posterier would get kinda funky smelling (more so at least), but I don’t think there’d be a whole lot of health problems. None of the great apes or monkeys wipe, and they do alright. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/11 "2003-12-22T23:19:53Z")
**spingears** , you know that didn’t rhyme don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/12 "2003-12-22T23:21:01Z")
err doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![bigdfrombigd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@bigdfrombigd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigdfrombigd)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/13 "2003-12-22T23:21:32Z")
You could try “Ass Don’t Smell”. Might help. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/14 "2003-12-22T23:24:01Z")
I guess I’ll be the guinea pig. As of right now no more wiping or washing in that area for two weeks. I’ll get back to you. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/15 "2003-12-22T23:51:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by x-ray vision \* > \*\*I guess I’ll be the guinea pig. As of right now no more wiping or washing in that area for two weeks. I’ll get back to you. \*\* So you’ll report back with the Daily No Wipe Report? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wiping-excrement-from-the-anus/220514/16 "2003-12-23T03:17:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mmmiiikkkeee \* > **None of the great apes or monkeys wipe** In that case I don’t see what’s so great about them. 😛